Saturday Night
by Avery Greyson
Summary: Helga takes in Arnold after he's had a few too many drinks.
1. Chapter 1: Jungle Juice

**A Brief Preface**

This is the first chapter in my latest story, Saturday Night. Same deal as last time, one chapter a week with Tuesday being the update day this time around. As a small forward to the story, this will be the first in a series of three stories taking place in the same timeline. They won't be sequels as such, but rather each new story focusing on a different time in the gang's junior year at Hillwood High School. Each new story will assume that the events in the one previous will have already happened. I don't have a time table on these, so no idea when they will all be complete. As always, your feedback is greatly appreciated and really kept me going on this one. Enjoy! ** -AG**

**Chapter 1: Jungle Juice**

Helga G. Pataki was not the high school party type. In fact she did everything in her power to avoid them. Gossip, pumping top 40, sweaty bodies mashed in one room, cheap grain Smirnoff mixed with Gatorade and sprite; it was not her idea of well spent evening. She looked out the window of her old beat up Toyota Corolla and laughed at the irony of the situation-the only one in the junior class that wasn't invited to the party was currently en route to Sid's apartment at a quarter to one in the morning.

Her phone vibrated again on the passenger seat, the screen illuminating the faded canvas seat. She picked it up and glanced down; another text from Phoebe. She frowned as she tried to make out the jumbled T9 translation.

"Jesus Christ. Put down the damn bottle" She said tossing the phone back in the seat.

She pulled down 32nd avenue and up to the curb in front of Sid's apartment. She cut the engine and walked up to the front door and stepped inside, instantly smelling cigarettes and weed wafting out into the hallways. She easily found her way to Sid's apartment; the door was open and blue light was spilling out into the hallway. A Katy Perry song blared out on distorted bass, flooding her ears as she opened the door. Helga stepped fully into the small apartment, letting the flimsy wooden door shut behind her.

At first she couldn't see faces through the smoke and soft blue light. They all blended in together, slurring with one another into one drunken mass. She tried to pick out faces, but everyone looked the same under the dim atmosphere.

"Helga! You came!" a shrill voice said.

Helga snapped her head up, seeing a very red faced Phoebe running for her.

"Whoa there Pheo…" Helga started as Phoebe crashed into her.

The smell of vodka and cigarettes slammed into her. Phoebe's face was red and Helga had to steady her from falling after the initial impact.

"Jesus, how much have…"

"You came!" Phoebe said, even louder.

"Yes, we've established that. Now go get your lover so we can get the hell out of here" Helga said, frustrated.

Phoebe twisted her face up in strained confusion. "Who?"

Helga rolled her eyes and then turned to Phoebe. She grabbed her shoulder.

"Gerald. Go get him. That's why I'm here isn't it? To give your drunken ass a ride home?"

"Okay okay, let me go get him. Thanks Helga, you're the best!. I really did think we were good to drive you know? But then I said, _Phoebe_! _Call Helga. _So I did. I called…you!" Phoebe said smiling widely.

"Yeah yeah, all is fair in love and Smirnoff. Now please go get Gerald" Helga said, grimacing as someone from the beer pong table bumped into her.

Phoebe pranced off back into the ocean of people, leaving Helga in the living room. She turned and backed up against the wall to get a look at the room. For an apartment building, Sid and his dad had quite the house. The living room she was standing in was decently sized, and packed with about twenty-five people. Two hallways broke off and led further into the apartment; one into a generously spacious kitchen and the other into what she assumed to be the bedrooms. A small glass door led out to a concrete deck overlooking the street below. Ten teens crammed themselves on the deck, and were hollering at the cars as they passed by. Loud yelping and hollering erupted from a group of football players standing by a make shift beer pong table. A closet door had been turned on its side and staked on top of some fold out chairs; one of the teams just sunk the last shot.

"Drink up fucker!" The shouting grew even louder as the losers started to drain the remaining cups.

_Yup that's enough of that _Helga thought to herself. She pushed off the wall and made her way through the crowd in search of Phoebe. The smell of sweat and stale beer slammed up against her as she snaked slowly through the crowd. The glass door swung open and the kids from the balcony swept into the living room. Helga was pushed up against the wall by the residual surge of shifting people. She was pinned against the sticky drywall for a moment by an overweight sophomore holding a Smirnoff Ice, but managed to break free from his impending mass. She saw her opening and dashed for the kitchen.

Out of the tumult of drunken party goers, she leaned up against the faded white refrigerator.

"Jesus Christ. I just remembered why I hate these things" She murmured to herself.

There were a few people in the kitchen, milling about by a large bowl of jungle juice in the sink. The music was muffled by the wall quite a bit, so Helga could actually hear herself think. She looked out the bar top divide on the far side of the kitchen, out into what now looked like a sea of people. Someone had changed the playlist to bass heavy dubstep, and the entire crowd surged with the syncopated beat.

_Yeah I'm going to find Phoebe real easy in all this shit. This, Helga, this is why we don't answer our phone on Saturdays. _She took a breath and started to leave the kitchen.

"Helga! What are you doing here?" a voice shouted loudly from behind her.

She turned around and saw Arnold walking up to her. He stumbled forward on a wet patch by the sink and fell up against the side of the refrigerator. Helga lunged forward and helped prop him back on his feat.

"Woah, you okay? You, Football head, are the _last _person I expected to run into here," Helga said smiling.

She took a step back and looked at him. He was dressed in chocolate corduroys and a black and white plaid shirt over a black tee. His face was flushed and he had a goofy smile on his face.

"Yeah, well. What can I say? Gerald wanted to come along, or I guess _Phoebe _did, and here I am," Arnold said, brushing a stray piece of hair back behind his ear. "You know..I think someone may have spunk the pinch, or…something" He said, his face twisting into a confused glare.

Helga looked back at him and started laughing.

"I cannot take you seriously like this. How much have you had?"

He leaned dramatically up against the fridge. "Oh like you ever do?"

"I take you seriously. Right now you're just pretty drunk. _You _of all people" Helga said smiling.

"Oh what's that supposed to mean?" Arnold said.

"Come on. Mr. Goody Two-Shoes himself, out late on a Saturday getting drunk? This is like, against everything you've ever stood for" Helga said.

Her face was twisting between surprise and amusement. She still didn't know how to react to Arnold like this. He swayed a bit and brushed his hand against the side of his face.

"I'm not all that good or nice or whatever. But I would ask _you _the same question!" He said, pointing an accusing finger at Helga.

She burst out laughing. "What?"

"I mean, you're here too? You never go to these things, like me," He said.

"This is true Football Head. Only reason I'm here now is to drive Phoebe's drunk ass home. But who knows where she went" Helga said, frowning as she looked out at the crowd.

Arnold snorted and his face turned sour. "Yeah, probably in a back room with Gerald or dancing or _not_ watching Evil Twin 4"

"What? Why would Phoebe go to Evil Twin 4? She hates that stuff" Helga said.

Arnold held up his hand. "Exactly!"

He shook his head and held up his hand. "No no, sorry. She's your friend. It's all cool"

Helga twisted her head slightly, trying to figure out what exactly Arnold was trying to tell her.

"Well, since you're stuck here like me, why don't you stay awhile?" Arnold said.

"Yeah, I guess I don't have much of a choice. What's in that punch anyway?" Helga said.

"Helga!" A voice erupted from the mouth of the kitchen.

She turned around and bumped into Phoebe once again. Gerald was right behind her this time; both of them looked shocked and worried.

"What's wrong?" Helga said, looking at both of them.

The music blaring in the room was abruptly stopped and a bright light shone right in her face. "Hillwood Police Department. Clear it out!"

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: 531/11**


	2. Chapter 2: After Party

**Here's chapter 2. Have a look and enjoy. If you have a chance, please let me know what you think; I do read all comments and really appreciate knowing what you did (or didn't) like about the story. Cheers, and happy reading! -AG**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: After Party <strong>

Three officers walked through the open front door, shining their industrial Maglites out into the crowd. The beams cut through the smoke and bounced off disoriented faces creating a light show of confusion. People streamed out of the door into the hallway. The three that took point were sweeping toward the kitchen, while another officer stood in the hallway. Phoebe leaned over to Helga; she smelled like the back alley of a Stolichnaya factory.

"Holy shit what are we going to do? I can't go to jail!" Phoebe stammered.

Gerald looked at the cops who were now about ten feet away from the kitchen. "Oh man, we're fucked!"

Both of them looked at Helga like deer in headlights. She rolled her eyes. "Aw jeez, _nobody_ is getting arrested"

It dawned on her that she hadn't heard from Arnold this entire time. She looked back over at him; he was staring at the police officers getting closer, his eyes glued to them. He looked back at Helga with intense fear in his eyes.

"What are we going to do?" He whispered.

Helga walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Arnold. Relax. Everything's going to be fine"

She turned to the others. "Come on, just follow me and don't say anything to them"

Helga pushed past Phoebe and Gerald and blended in to the slow moving herd of teens leaving the party. Arnold followed closely behind her with Phoebe and Gerald brining up the rear. They followed the crowd past the officers in the house and past the one in the hall. The group of kids started to drift apart once down the initial set of stairs. Helga and Phoebe walked out of the apartment building first, with Gerald and Arnold following closely behind. They walked past two patrol cruisers parked in the driveway and down towards Helga's car. She took out her keys.

"You four, hold it" A firm voice said from behind her.

Helga turned around and saw Arnold, staring right into a flashlight beam. He held his hand up to his face, shielding it from the light. The police officer moved his flashlight from Arnold to Phoebe, walking toward them. She cowered from the light and inched behind Gerald.

"You kids come from the party? Not thinking about driving are you?" The officer said.

"Well, we were…I mean…" Phoebe stammered.

The officer flicked his light in her face. Helga stepped in front of Phoebe, staring into the light at where she assumed the policeman's face would be.

"On our way home, I'll be the one driving" Helga said firmly.

"How much did you have at the party? You twenty-one?" The officer said.

"We were just in the area. We saw the cop cars and decided to just go back home" Helga said.

The officer lowered his light and stepped in, staring down Helga.

"Don't lie to me" The officer said.

"I haven't had a drop tonight, or ever, because I'm not twenty-one" She said matter-of-factly.

The officer had moved in close enough to smell her breath. She held her ground, not breaking eye contact with the policeman. Phoebe, Gerald, and Arnold still cowered behind her, watching everything playing out.

"Thanks for your concern officer, but we're on our way out. Good evening" Helga said, turning around.

She hit Phoebe on the shoulder and the group stiffly followed. The officer turned off his flashlight and walked back toward his patrol car.

Once they had definitely made it past the cop, Phoebe ran up to Helga.

"That was awesome! How did you know how to go past those cops like that?" Phoebe asked incredulously.

"Because they can't arrest just one single person from a pack, and he didn't have enough on us? You'd know that too if you weren't so hammered. I still can't believe you actually came out to this thing" Helga said.

She was getting annoyed by Phoebe's inebriated state. Phoebe staggered back and forth.

"I know right? I didn't even know about it, but Gerald was great enough to bring me along with him and Arnold, and we ended up at Sid's. The next thing you know…" She held up both her hands and made peace signs. "I'm drunk!"

Helga shook her head. "You're unbelievable"

Gerald had fallen back to talk with Arnold, talking softly behind the two girls.

"Dude, but that's…" Arnold said loudly to Gerald.

She looked back at them. Gerald was saying something to Arnold; he was looking away, his face was getting redder and redder as Gerald talked on.

"Oh come on! We haven't been the same since…" Arnold said, his voice more high pitched and annoyed.

Helga slowed her pace, trying to hear more of the conversation, but Phoebe kept babbling in her ear. She couldn't catch more than a few words through the loud chattering.

"You know, Gerald's really cute when he's walking like that don't you think?" Phoebe said, giggling.

"Oh yeah, he's real dreamy" Helga said.

Gerald caught up to them and embraced Phoebe in an exaggerated bear hug, nearly knocking the both of them down. They were almost at Helga's car, about a half block away. Helga slowed down to walk next to Arnold. He was shuffling along the sidewalk, evidently having trouble with the cracks in the pavement.

"You gonna make it there Football head?" Helga asked, batting him on the shoulder.

He swung his head up and looked at Helga. "This is….bullshit"

"What is?" She asked, smiling.

She'd never really heard Arnold cuss before.

"Helga open it up!" Gerald shouted, yanking on the door handle of her car.

"Hang on hang on. You're going to break the damn thing off if you keep pulling it like that" She said, jogging up to her Corolla.

She opened the doors and Phoebe and Gerald tumbled into the back seat, laughing as they went down. Helga slammed the door shut and ran a hand through her hair. She opened up the driver's door and slid in. Arnold crawled slowly in the passenger side.

"Alright liquornauts, where to?" Helga said, starting up the engine.

"Rhonda just texted me! She's having an after party!" Phoebe squealed.

"Awesome!" Gerald hollered.

"Oh boy" Helga said flatly.

She put the car in gear and pulled out onto the road.

* * *

><p>They pulled up in front of Rhonda's estate house after a few minutes. Helga pulled the car off to the shoulder and looked out at the three story penthouse. Lights were on and she could hear the bass from the street. A tall iron gate out front with the Wellington-Lloyd crest on it though, ensured that any potential police intervention wouldn't be an issue. Gerald and Phoebe had been giggling and exchanging drunken kisses the entire ride from Sid's, and Helga was getting quite annoyed. She loved Phoebe to death, but there was only so much high pitched squealing she could take. Arnold had been in an equal state of annoyance, or sickness, she couldn't really tell. He had been staring down at his lap for most of the ride. Occasionally, he would chance a look out the window, but he would let out an exasperated moan and look back to his feet.<p>

The couple in the back separated once the car stopped.

"You ready man?" Gerald asked, punching the back of Arnold's seat.

He lurched forward and caught himself on the dash.

"I don't think so. I don't want to have to sleep on the floor" Arnold said

"Oh come on man! It'll be awesome!" Gerald said.

"Come on Arnold!" Phoebe said loudly.

He shot her a stern glare and spun woozily back to Gerald. "I don't think I'm up for another party"

"Aw man….well,.." Gerald said.

"I can give you a ride home Football Head. It's not really out of my way" Helga said.

"Really? That's awesome. There you go!" Gerald said, opening his door.

"But, you said.." Arnold started.

Gerald had gotten out of the car. He leaned his head back in as Phoebe slid out. "It's cool if we go on right?"

Arnold looked to Gerald and then at Helga. He waved his hand in front of his face.

"Sure" He said.

"Great! Knew you'd understand. Catch you later Arnold!" Gerald said.

"Bye!" Phoebe shouted as he slammed the door shut.

Arnold sighed as Helga started the engine.

"Holy shit. I have now seen enough for permanent legislation against underage drinking" She said smiling. "Where to?"

He brought his head back up and leaned against the headrest. "Listen Helga, maybe you should just drop me off here. I can't really go home tonight"

"What? Why?" Helga said.

"Cause I was supposed to be spending the night at Gerald's and if I go home…like _this_" He swung both arms wide, as if he was presenting a circus act "I'll get in a lot of trouble"

"You're grandparents wouldn't ground you if you _murdered_ somebody" Helga said.

"This may be true, but I still can't go back, I'm like…gone" Arnold said.

Helga started the engine and pulled away from Rhonda's house.

"Well, I'm not going to let you sleep on the queen's floor. Even though I'm sure it's been waxed with angel tears" She said.

"I don't mind. Oh god…we're moving again" He said pulling his head down to his knees.

Helga laughed. "You'll make it"

Arnold moaned. "Stupid Gerald and his stupid girlfriend. Who spiked the punch? What'd they put in it?"

"Vodka and a lot of it from the smell of it. You reek" Helga said. "So they're official now?"

Arnold sat back up and tried looking out the window again.

"Yeah. As of tonight I guess. I wish he'd just do her so we can get this over with" Arnold said annoyed.

"What?"

"Aw man!" Arnold said slapping his head. " I wasn't supposed to say anything! You can't say anything okay?"

He reached over and grabbed her shoulder.

"Uh, don't worry. Secret's safe with me" She said, her voice cracking.

Arnold exhaled and let go of her arm. He slumped back down in his seat. "Oh good. Thanks Helga"

She cleared her throat, trying to concentrate on the road. _Holy shit he just touched me. Okay hang in there. _

The car turned off thirty-fourth avenue and down Vine street. Arnold fell against the window on the turn and started laughing.

"So Gerald bailed on you huh?" Helga said.

"Yeah. We were supposed to go see Evil Twin 4 but we had to go to Sid's cause _Phoebe _was going to be there. All he cares about is her these days. She's such a…such a bitch!" Arnold yelled.

"Hey! That's my friend you're…" Helga started.

"I mean we were _supposed_ to go to the baseball game and he canceled and I was like, fine! And then we were supposed to watch the best worst new scary movie and he canceled and I was still like, fine! But now he just says lets go to this party and forget about you Arnold, _fuck you! _That's bull that's what that is!" Arnold said.

He took several breaths, realizing he forgot to breath during his speech. "Oh man, why am I like this?"

Helga burst out laughing as she pulled in her driveway. "You're pretty damn drunk Arnold. But you'll live. Come on, I'll help you out"

He leaned forward and squinted out the window. "Hey this isn't my house?"

"No dummy, it's mine. I'm letting you crash on my couch. But _only _because I don't want you having to get in trouble on Gerald's dumb ass. So don't get any ideas" She said pointing a finger at him.

"I would never! And I can get out of the car _my-self_ thanks very much!" Arnold said.

He groped for the door handle, flapping his arms around like two dying fish.

"Jeez don't hurt yourself. I'm coming" Helga said as she stepped out.

She walked around to the other side of the car, trying to make it to Arnold before he broke something. She glanced up at her house, completely dark except for the light in her room she left on for herself.

_Well here we go._

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><p>Chapter 3: 67/11


	3. Chapter 3: Mind The Step

**Here's the next chapter! Thanks everyone very much for all of the kind words; it's great to know there are people out there who actually read this stuff and hopefully get a little fun out of it. Thanks very much and as always, enjoy the read -AG**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Mind The Step<strong>

Helga had been completely beside herself the entire drive from Rhonda's house. Firstly, there was the shock of not only seeing Arnold completely smashed out of his mind but then having to deal with him as well. Battling closely for supremacy in her mind over that was the fact that she was about to spend the night with him. Well, not exactly _spend the night _in the sense that she wanted, but still it was one step closer.

_Now remember, he's completely zonked. Just keep everything cool and don't do anything stupid. He won't remember any of this anyway. Still, how amazing would it be if…_

She could hardly concentrate on anything he said on the drive back, and was surprised and proud of herself for sounding so nonchalant about everything. Inside though, it felt as if she were housing an aviary of angry pigeons. Her hands shook as she went to open the door to his side of the car. She opened the door and Arnold spilled out, stumbling as he stood up. He smiled big as he leaned up against her car.

"See, told you I could get it!" He said loudly.

"Shh! You'll wake the entire damn block. It's like one-thirty Football Head. Now come on, let's get inside" Helga said walking up to the front door.

She fumbled with the keys in the dark. Arnold tripped up the first stair on the small stoop and then steadied himself against the wrought iron railing. The front of the house smelled like sick sweet Evergro from the dying roses out front, mixed with warm vodka drifting from Arnold's clothes. Helga finally found the key and opened the wooden door into the pitch black foyer. She swept her hand in, beckoning for Arnold to go first. He took a big step in, disappearing into the darkness.

Helga took her keys from the lock. A huge crash echoed out from inside, followed by a grunt. Helga snapped her head up and rushed inside, slamming her hand on the light switch on the side of the wall.

"Arnold! Are you okay?"

She scanned the room and found him laying across the tile foyer, his legs wrapped around a coat rack. He smiled sheepishly up at Helga.

"Helga? I think I'm drunk" Arnold said.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She smiled and kicked the front door closed with her foot.

"Come on Arnold, let's get you somewhere stable before you kill yourself" She said.

She walked over and helped him up, propping him up against the wall. She picked up the coat rack and put it back in the corner.

"Where's your bathroom? If it's alright that I use it that is" Arnold said.

"Down the hall to your left. I'll turn on some lights so we can avoid another attack of the coat rack. Don't worry about making noise or anything, we're the only ones here" Helga said.

Arnold turned down the hall and slowly made his way toward the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Helga went to the living room and hit the light switch. She walked over to the old brown foldout couch and started to toss the pillows on the floor.<p>

_Man he reeks. Hope he doesn't get too sick. I may love the guy but I could go without having to hold his hair while he yaks in my toilet. _

She pulled out the folding bed and went to grab some sheets.

_What am I doing? I should let him stay in my room…or maybe I'll just stay down here. _

It dawned on her that Arnold had been gone for awhile and she hadn't heard so much as a peep from down the hall.

_Oh shit. _

"Arnold?" She called, walking down the hall.

"You okay back there?"

She rounded the corner and saw him sitting up against the wall across from the bathroom. He was holding his head in his hands. She walked over and knelt down.

"Are you alright?"

He tried to look up at her but let his head fall back down. "Everything's spinning" He said pitifully. "This isn't fun anymore"

Helga grabbed him by the shoulder and hoisted him up to his feet. "Alight, come on. We have to get you some bread and water"

Helga helped Arnold walk down the hall toward the kitchen. He tried his best to stay upright but he kept wobbling back and forth. He burped loudly and groaned, leaning up against the wall.

"You okay?" Helga asked, stopping.

He pushed off the wall and leaned back into Helga. "Yeah, I think so. How long does this last?" he moaned.

"What do you mean?" Helga said, starting to walk with him again.

"This!" Arnold moaned.

"Have you never been drunk before?" She asked, smiling.

"No. This…this is awful" Arnold squeaked.

"Don't worry. We'll fix you up, hopefully I can keep you from getting sick" Helga said.

"I'm not sick now?"

Helga laughed. "Oh you can get much _much_ worse Arnold"

They reached the kitchen. Helga propped Arnold up against the door frame and leaned in to flip on the lights. Dishes were piled up in the sink, next to a few pizza boxes. Used pots and pans sat on the range, some filled with soapy water and others with remnants of their former meals.

"Hang on to the wall okay? I'm gonna clear off a chair for you" Helga said, walking over to the dirty island in the middle of the kitchen.

Arnold clung on to the faded white wall like it was a lifeline and watched Helga. His mind was fuzzy and he couldn't seem to hold onto a thought for longer than a few seconds. He wanted to say something to her, anything, but all that came out was a small mumble.

_Oh my god. Why do people do this?_

Helga started clearing off a spot on the island, sweeping aside bills and junk mail. She picked up a dirty blender and a third empty fifth of Jack Daniels and moved it to the counter.

"Okay come sit over here" Helga said, turning to a cabinet.

She pulled out a bag of cinnamon raisin bagels and a tin of coffee. Arnold slowly let go of the wall and inched slowly over to the barstool next to the island, as if he were walking on a frozen lake. He sat down and leaned over the counter.

Helga set a bagel and a glass of water down in front of him.

"I know you don't feel like eating or drinking anything right now, but you have to eat all of this okay? If you don't, you'll get _much_ sicker" Helga said.

She turned around and started the range under the kettle. Arnold groaned and picked up the bagel slowly. He ripped into it and followed with a big swig of water.

"Why are you so good at this?" Arnold asked, taking another bite of his bagel.

"Lot of practice. I realized a while ago that if I wanted to keep having a mom, I'd have to do all this shit myself. _Bob_ certainly wasn't going to" Helga said, grabbing two mugs from the cabinet.

"Did you do this, or do you do this…you know, drunk? I mean, drink?" Arnold asked.

"Yeah a little when we first started high school. The bottles were just laying around and I figured what the hell. Found out the hard way how much was too much" Helga said.

The water started to boil. She took the kettle off the stove and poured hot water into both of the mugs.

"Got to say though, you were the last one I expected to see when I walked into that apartment"

Arnold let his head fall into the counter, his hair sweeping forward and making a tent around his face.

"Yeah well, I didn't exactly plan for this. I was just supposed to go see a movie tonight" Arnold said.

He slowly inched his head to the side and looked up at Helga. "I kind of thought it tasted bad, but at that point I didn't really care. I was kinda mad and lonely and stuff and I just kept drinking it" Arnold said

"Usually how it works. And now look at you, drunk and running from the cops. You're a regular delinquent" Helga said, smiling.

"Oh my god that was _so_ scary. I thought we were screwed. How'd you know what to do?" Arnold said, suddenly amazed.

"They can't just pick off individual people from a crowd like that. As long as you look like you know what you're doing they'll usually leave you alone. It would have never stuck in court if he _had_ tried anything. Again, experience talking here" Helga said.

Arnold raised his head and took a big swig of coffee. "You've been through a lot"

She snorted. Arnold stared into his coffee mug, watching the brown liquid swirl lazily around in the faded porcelain mug. Helga watched him, ready to break her gaze if he tried to look up at her. He blew a loose blond strand of hair from his face, still trying to focus on the coffee as if it held some dark secret. He swayed slightly back and forth in his seat. His cheeks were red and his eyes had a soft electric glow to them. Helga laughed at the sight in front of her.

"What?" Arnold said, looking up at her smiling.

"You. You're ridiculous. I just still can't believe you're drunk Football Head. I didn't think you had it in you" Helga said.

"I _can_ do bad stuff you know. I am capable of it. Just like you are with being nice" Arnold said.

"What?"

Arnold leaned in to the island, steadying himself by an outstretched hand. "You _can _be nice, but most of the time you're all mean and stuff. Just like me! I _can _do bad stuff but most of the time I don't"

"You're a real philosopher Arnoldo" Helga said leaning back on her barstool.

"But I like it when you're nice. Like now. It's cool to see you like this, y'know, different"

"I'm different?" Hegla said, smirking.

"Yeah. It's like, you're not trying to act or something. It's just the two of us so you don't have to prove to everyone you're all tough and mean and badass!" Arnold made a fist and jabbed the air.

Helga slammed her hands down on the island. "Oh I am not trying to _prove_ something. I _am_ tough and mean!"

Arnold waved his hand at her. "Bullshit. You're always trying to make an example out of somebody. You know the freshman call you Horrible Helga?"

"See? My reputation precedes me" She said proudly.

"Well if you were that mean, why are you being so nice to me now? Come to think of it, you're always nice to me" Arnold said. He frowned as if in deep thought. "That is when you're not being mean to me"

Helga looked out of the kitchen and squirmed in her seat.

_Shit. Okay, excuse, excuse. Think of something. _

"Well, I mean…" She started

Arnold smiled leaned on his elbow. "Well I don't think you're Horrible Helga, I think you're…you're H-awesome Helga!"

She laughed. "Oh if only you're grandpa could see you now"

_Thank you jungle juice. That was way to close. _

Arnold laughed. He looked into the living room and then strained to see the staircase through the walkway into the kitchen.

"Speaking o'which, where are your parents?"

"Ah who the hell knows? Bob is at some kind of corporate dinner shebang in Dallas and Miriam is God knows where. Out in some dive bar I'd guess. Once I got the car I kind of stopped keeping tabs on them"

"Oh. I'm sorry" Arnold said, looking down.

He said it too quick. It didn't feel right to him but he didn't know what else to say. Everything was hazy to him right now, and he wished he could express just how grateful he was to the care Helga was giving him. This was a completely new feeling for Arnold, and he didn't like it one bit. He had no control, and no matter how hard he tried, he wasn't going to get back in the driver's seat of his own body any time soon.

"Don't be. I'm not. How you feeling? Any better?" Helga said.

Arnold sprang his head up. "Yeah lots. This stuff really does work doesn't it?"

Helga smiled. "I have my moments. Now let's get you in bed and off to soberland. It's almost two-thirty"

Arnold stood up shakily. "Woo. It really hits you when you stand"

Helga let Arnold lead out of the kitchen and into the foyer. The tile of the hall broke off to a small step down into the carpeted living room where she had set up the foldout bed for Arnold.

"Okay watch the…" Helga started to say.

Arnold looked over his shoulder at her and stepped right off the ledge. He stumbled forward and fell, tumbling sloppily down into the bookshelf. His head knocked up against one of the edges of the cabinet and he let out a small grunt.

Helga rushed in the room after him and knelt down beside Arnold.

"Oh God are you alright?" She said, trying to grab his shoulder and hoist him away from the shelf.

"Oww" Arnold said slowly.

He lifted himself up to a sitting position and sheepishly looked up at Helga. "Sorry"

"It's okay Arnold. Are you okay?" Helga said, squatting down in front of him.

"My head hurts" Arnold said, squinting.

He had a small cut above his right eyebrow and blood was slowly trickling down his face.

"Okay let's get you to the bed and then I'll do something about your head" Helga said, leaning under his arm.

They stood up and Helga walked him over to the foldout bed. He flopped down on it and held his head.

"I'll be right back" Helga said quickly.

She left the living room and went back hurriedly to the kitchen. She slid down to the floor and threw open the cabinets under the sink, grabbing a large plastic box with a green cross on the side. Helga rushed back to the living room and sat down on the bed next to Arnold.

He looked lazily over at her. "I'm okay. Really. I just lost my balance"

His head was still bleeding but his voice was relatively lucid, considering his state. Helga looked at him for a moment and then let out a heavy breath.

"Jeez you're killing me here Arnold"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm so stupid tonight" He said looking down.

She put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You're drunk. It happens"

Helga turned to the box, opening it and taking out a square of gauze. "Now let me take care of your head. It's still bleeding"

She reached over and dabbed the cut on his forehead. She tried concentrating on the wound but couldn't help noticing his eyes that were staring right back at her.

"You know, I've never really been able to understand you" Arnold said, still looking at her.

She coughed slightly, grabbing a Band-Aid from the box. "What?"

"I mean, you're always so mean to me, but you turn around and do stuff like this" Arnold said.

"Like what?" Helga said, sticking the Band-Aid to his forehead.

"Help me and..take care of me" Arnold said.

She could feel his breath. She looked down to her legs and then back to the box. "Well, all finished. It's no big deal, would have done it for anybody" She said quickly, her voice shaking.

She didn't move back and neither did he.

"You would?" He said, turning his head to the side slightly.

She looked back at him slowly, instantly locking with his eyes that hadn't left her since she'd sat down.

"Sure" She said.

He reached over and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her the rest of the way over to him. He turned his head and locked his lips with hers, softly connecting their bodies. He brought his other hand around and hugged her, not breaking their kiss.

Helga exhaled and froze for a moment, not sure what to do. Her heart shook and she gave in, returning his embrace and letting herself fall completely into him. She lost track of time, not caring about anything else except the moment. They finally separated and she pushed away slightly.

"You're drunk…" She said softly.

He looked at her, not seeming to understand. "I…"

She stood up, smiling softly at him. "It's okay. Get some rest"

She walked out of the living room, flipping off the lights, leaving Arnold sitting on the small foldout bed in the dark.

His mind was swimming and he couldn't hold on to a thought.

_Did that just happen?_

_Why am I so dizzy?_

_Did I just _kiss _Helga G. Pataki?_

_Where did she go?_

_Oh no, that wasn't right, she was drunk. No wait, I'm drunk. _

_Why didn't she stay with me? _

_I want her to stay. _

He sat for a while, trying to make his mind focus. At some point, he found himself lying down and the thoughts seemed to stop.

* * *

><p>Helga ran up the stairs, tears streaming down her face. She went in her room and shut the door as quietly as she could and fell into her bed.<p>

_Why did he have to be drunk? Is that what it's going to take for him to like me? _

She replayed the kiss over and over in her mind: the feel of his soft lips, his sweet smell drifting in and out in waves over her.

_Why did he have to be drunk_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4 (final chapter): 614/2011 **


	4. Chapter 4: The Morning After

**Well here's the last chapter of Saturday Night. Thanks for sticking with it and giving me all the awesome feedback. I had a lot of fun writing this one, and I hope you all liked it as much as I do. Enjoy! Cheers- AG**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: The Morning After<strong>

Helga woke up sometime just after noon, the grey light from the street slowly seeping into her room. She groaned and sat up slowly, rubbing her face. She threw open the curtain by her bed and looked out the window. The sky was overcast, heavy clouds moving in from the coast obstructing the sun and casting a gloomy grey over the whole city. The thoughts of the previous night flooded over her, each of them battering themselves against her skull. She slowly got up and threw on a different shirt, and walked over to her door. She leaned up against the frame and listened for anything.

Silence.

Helga opened the door and softly crept down the stairs. She peered into the living room and saw a pile of folded blankets on the bed with a scrap of paper on the top.

No Arnold.

She walked the rest of the way down and made her way into the living room. She picked up the note, written on the back of an old newspaper from the kitchen.

_Thank you so much for putting up with me last night. Sorry about being a hassle, which I'm sure I was. Call me later today okay? Thanks again. _

_-Arnold_

She sat down on the foldout couch and rolled the note back and forth in her hands, staring at the lump in the hard springy mattress where Arnold had been.

_Does he remember it? How could he not. It…it was amazing. _

She stood up from the couch and walked into the kitchen. Miriam had come in at some point and was now slumped over the island still holding a Starbucks cup, the edge stained with bright pink lipstick. She was in a cheap looking green sequined dress with a small Ross sticker still attached to the bottom. Helga walked over to the fridge, kicking the stool as she passed the island. Miriam jolted upright, looking around the kitchen through her skewed glasses.

"Wha? Oh, Helga! What time did you get up" Miriam said groggily.

"It's noon Miriam. What time did you get in?" Helga said flatly, grabbing a carton of orange juice and a Chinese take-out box from the fridge.

"About, eleven-thirty?" Miriam said, peering through the hole in her coffee cup.

"And Bob?" Helga said.

She sniffed the contents of the take-out carton, shrugged, and scooped a fork in.

"Oh I think he's still in Denver or Detroit or…"

"Dallas" Helga said.

"Right" Miriam said, tossing her empty cup in the trash can.

Helga broght the coffee pot from the night before over and sat it in front of her mother.

"So lay off the sauce alright? Pretty sure you're good" Helga said.

"Oh, you worry too much honey" Miriam said.

Helga stooped down and looked at Miriam. "Mom I'm serious. Take it easy for tonight"

She grabbed the take-out container and headed for the hallway; she paused before leaving the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniels that had been left on the island. Helga tossed the bottle in the linen closet on her way up the stairs and to her room.

_That'll take you a good day or two to find_.

She sat on her bed and grabbed her phone, flipping open the screen and absently dialing the number she had had memorized for years.

"Alright Football Head, let's get this over with" She said through a mouthful of chow mein.

The dial tone started as she placed the phone to her ear. Helga tried to ignore her heart beat, which at this point was pounding away like a battalion of drummers. Her stomach had been flipping circles ever since she had read his note. The phone clicked and the dial tone stopped.

"_Hello?" _Arnold groaned from the cell phone.

"Hey Football Head. How you feeling this morning?" Helga said, smiling at his voice.

"_Pretty rough. I'm finding out why people want it quiet when they're hung-over. My head hurts so bad today" _

"Yeah it happens. The more you have the worse you get it the next morning. So what can I do you for Arnoldo?" Helga said.

"_Well, I was wondering if I could maybe buy you breakfast or something. Or I guess it'd be lunch now huh? I mean you know, just to apologize and thank you for last night. I know taking care of a drunk idiot probably wasn't the way you wanted to spend your Saturday" _

"I keep telling you it was really no big deal. But hell if it makes you sleep easier, I _guess_ I could entertain you"

_"Okay cool! Um, how about Bigal's in like thirty?" _

"You got it Football Head" Helga said. "Seeya then"

She closed the phone. She looked down at the screen for a few moments, trying to let her mind wander.

_So does he remember?_

* * *

><p>Helga pulled up in front of Bigal's at around one-thirty. She parked and glanced at the front of the café. She spotted Arnold sitting at a small wrought iron table by the door. He was wearing a dark green hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses and looking very drowsy. His hair was matted down and tangled which to Helga, made him look even more cute than he was the night before.<p>

She crossed the street and walked up to the table. He looked up at her, smiling.

"Hey. Glad you could make it" Arnold said.

"No problem" She said, sitting across from him.

He looked down at the faded green metal mesh of the table, and then back to Helga. He had taken her make-shift bandage off, revealing the small gash above his eyebrow.

"So…" He said slowly.

"So" She said smirking.

He returned the grin and they both started laughing.

"I, uh, I was pretty messed up. Apparently I'm a lightweight" Arnold said, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah you are. So…do you remember much about last night?" Helga said warily.

_Too Blunt. Way to blunt. _

Arnold smiled sheepishly and looked out toward the street. "Bits and pieces? Honestly it's all pretty blurry after we left Rhonda's" he said blushing.

_Fucking fantastic. _"Ah. Yeah I'd be surprised if you held on to all of that" Helga said.

A waiter came out and placed two menus in front of them. Helga took hers and unfolded it, half staring at the faded print. She was glad to have something else to occupy herself; her heart had been racing since she sat down and it was showing no signs of slowing down.

"So I guess I hurt my head last night?" Arnold said, looking up from his menu.

"You don't remember that? Oh man, you straight tumbled into my bookshelf. I thought you'd knocked yourself out for a minute" Helga said.

"Yeah it definitely felt like it this morning." Arnold said, rubbing his temple lightly.

"What time did you leave? I thought you'd still be down there" Helga said, putting down the menu.

"Nine I guess. I had to go pick up Gerald and Phoebe from Rhonda's. I was supposedly staying with him last night, remember?" Arnold said.

"Ah yes, the morning switcheroo. Been there" Helga said.

The waiter came back and they ordered: Helga got a bagel and a chocolate shake and Arnold a B.L.T. and a coffee. Once the waiter left, Helga turned her attention back to Arnold.

"So how were the dynamic duo this morning?" She said.

She was determined to keep him talking about everything but what happened the night before, until he either forgot or dropped it altogether. She didn't know why she was so apprehensive about it, but at this moment in time, brining _that _up sounded like the worst thing in the world.

Arnold rolled his eyes at her mention of Gerald and Phoebe. "Well it could have been worse, they were mostly still passed out for the ride back. We just made up some story about getting breakfast or something to his parents. At least I didn't have to sit through another make out fest"

"Yeah you were pretty pissed last night. I never knew you had that kind of mouth on you. I'd better warn any sailors around to bring their earplugs" Helga said, smirking.

Arnold looked down at the table. "Yeah listen, I'm sorry about all that stuff. She's your friend and I should have respected that. It's really not her fault at all, I was just still a little mad you know?"

She smiled. "It's no skin off my nose Football Head. Gerald screwed you over and you had a right to be mad. There's a reason they call booze truth juice"

"Well still, I should have kept that to myself. Although I guess you're in the loop now huh?" Arnold said.

"Guess so. Honestly though, I've been getting pretty tired of hearing about Gerald this and Gerald that, so I know where you're coming from" Helga said.

"Well at least she still spends time with you. We were gonna go to the record store today, but I got another famous 'yeah sure sure, I'll call you later'" Arnold said dropping his voice down to mimic Gerald.

"Well, maybe he will?" Hegla said

"Oh yeah of course. Not even I am _that_ optimistic" Arnold said chuckling.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Ah well, it happens. I don't actually know if I'm bitter about spending less time with Gerald or the fact that he has a girlfriend. Guess I haven't really found anyone yet" Arnold said.

Helga coughed and looked down at her feet through the mesh table. "Well you never know. You're a capable guy, I'm sure you'll manage"

"Yeah, I…" Arnold started.

Helga was so focused on the leather etching of her Nikes that she missed Arnold blushing deeply.

Before he had a chance to continue, the waiter came back with their food. Helga grabbed her shake and swirled around the whip cream on top.

Arnold took a big swig of his mocha. "Oh man I'm starving. Feels like I haven't eaten in days"

"Welcome to the morning-after breakfast. Your initiation to the big boy world is now complete" Helga said laughing.

"Oh shut up. I'm entitled to do a few out of character things here and there, thank you very much" Arnold said, ripping into his sandwich.

They ate and talked about school and Rhonda's after party and the state of their friend's relationships. The rest of the meal went on relatively uneventfully, and Helga finally started to relax. She started to forget about the worry she felt earlier and just really enjoy the moment. They finished up and stood from the table. Helga moved out from the canvas awning and into the sun. Arnold tucked a twenty dollar bill under his plate and walked up next to her. They both stood for a moment, soaking up the warm heat which had managed to make its way through the early afternoon cloud cover. A few cars drove down the street, but for the most part it was a relatively calm Sunday afternoon. Arnold kicked at a piece of gravel on the sidewalk and coughed slightly.

"So listen Helga, I don't really remember much about last night, but I do remember how it ended, and…well, I'm really..." He started, his eyes still fixed to where the piece of gravel had been.

"Don't worry about it. You were drunk, it's all cool" She said quickly, cutting him off.

"Well, I know but.." He started.

Arnold looked slowly back up to Helga.

"Like I said, no worries. Heat of the moment right?" Helga said, smiling slightly.

"Yeah. Yeah I guess so" Arnold said.

She nodded and started walking toward the street. "Well thanks for lunch. Seeya around"

"Yeah, seeya" Arnold said.

He started walking down the sidewalk in the opposite direction. Helga had made it to her car and shoved the keys into the lock.

"Hey Helga!"

She turned around to see Arnold had walked back to Bigal's and was jogging across the street. She leaned against the driver's side door.

"You know, Gerald's not going to call me back, and well, I've still got a Fandango voucher for Evil Twin" Arnold said.

"That so?" She said.

"So if you're not doing anything, you wanna maybe… go?" He said in his most confident voice.

"Yeah, yeah I'd like that. But _only_ because my house still reeks of your vodka sweat" Helga said.

"Awesome. We'll just need to swing by my place first to get the tickets" He said grinning.

He went around to the other side of her car and opened the door. He leaned up against the hood before he got in.

"Oh Helga? Do you think we could keep my drunken stupidness just to ourselves? I'm not sure I want everyone knowing I crashed into your coat rack" Arnold said blushing.

Helga laughed. "Ah so you do remember. And not a chance Football Head, not a chance"

She swung into the driver's seat and slammed the door. Arnold groaned and followed Helga into the car. The engine started and the Corolla zoomed down 4th street. The clouds had completely cleared and it was shaping up to be a fine Sunday afternoon.


End file.
